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Consumers and Private Sector critical in fighting droughts and land degradation, says UN

Consumers and Private Sector critical in fighting droughts and land degradation, says UN

More than 3.2 billion people, or 2 in every 5 people, are impacted by land degradation today and up to 143 million people could move within their countries by 2050 to escape water scarcity and falling crop productivity due to the slow onset impacts of climate change.

To avoid these threats, Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, has called on consumers…

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Emerging talent: Finalists revealed for the 2017 Young Journalist Award

Emerging talent: Finalists revealed for the 2017 Young Journalist Award

A new generation of journalists shining a light on uneasy truths.

The annual Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award, part of the UK Foreign Press Association Awards, encourages the submission of stories that spark public debate, and help to foster change.

This year the competition attracted 236 entries from 60 qualifying countries — that’s double the number received last year: evidence that…

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Countries agree on a landmark 2030 strategy to stop losing land

Countries agree on a landmark 2030 strategy to stop losing land

Ordos, China: A third of the world’s land is degraded.  By the end of the Conference, 113 countries had agreed to specify concrete targets, with clear indicators, to reverse degradation and rehabilitate more land.

Countries also agreed on a new global roadmap to address land degradation at the 13th meeting of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification held in Ordos,…

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Over 110 countries join the global campaign to save productive land

Over 110 countries join the global campaign to save productive land

Ordos, 11/09/2017. Up to 2 billion hectares of land are degraded. On average, 12 million hectares are lost every year and 169 countries are affected by land degradation, desertification and drought. In an unprecedented global campaign to save productive land, 112 countries, as of today, have agreed to make the Sustainable Development Goal target of achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030 a…

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Indiscriminate Felling of Trees threatens Future of herbal medicine

Indiscriminate Felling of Trees threatens Future of herbal medicine

Indiscriminate felling of trees across Ghana is becoming a threat to the local herbal medicine industry.

That’s a concern by President of Global Pharmaceutical Firm, TASLY Pharmaceuticals International Company in Africa, Alex Zhang.

According to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Change in Forest Cover between 1990 and 2000, Ghana lost an average of 135,400 hectares of forest…

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Timeabu residents battle with acute water shortage due to galamsey

Timeabu residents battle with acute water shortage due to galamsey

Young lady walking in search of portable water

Residents at Timeabu in the Ejisu-Juabeng Municipality of the Ashanti Region have been hit with an acute water crisis as result of illegal mining activities in the area.

The only source of drinking water, ‘Banko’ Stream, has been polluted while the two bore-holes in the community are also faulty.

The two boreholes, when they are functioning, pump…

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Government to establish register for disclosure of petroleum contracts

Government to establish register for disclosure of petroleum contracts

Deputy Energy Minister in charge of Petroleum -Dr. Mohammed Amin Adams-

Ghana will by end of this year make public a petroleum register for all agreements, licenses, permits and authorisations.

Deputy Minister of Energy in charge of Petroleum, Dr Mohammed Amin Adams disclosed this at the just ended 2nd Africa Open Data Conference in Accra.

The measure will provide clarity on the Petroleum…

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Ejisu-Juaben: Library turned to dining room, store

Ejisu-Juaben: Library turned to dining room, store

Can you imagine a structure allocated for a library facility now serves as a store room and a place for eating?

That is the reality at Achinakrom Municipal Assembly Primary school in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality of Ashanti Region.

Upon entry, a bowl with used polythene bags can be spotted sitting on a table close to the window, suggesting that someone had just finished eating.

The room that was…

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Anastasia's tortuous journey to academic excellence; physically challenged but intellectually endowed

Anastasia’s tortuous journey to academic excellence; physically challenged but intellectually endowed

Can you imagine struggling to climb a staircase every day — fall off, sometimes, due to physical disability — to attend lectures?

That’s the story of 23-year-old Anastasia Agyenim Boateng who defied the odds, learning to earn a First Class Honours with an average of 72.5 in Sociology.

She is among graduating students at the 51st congregation of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology…

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Mobile application developed to address post-harvest losses

Mobile application developed to address post-harvest losses

A mobile application has been developed to assist farmers to address the issue of high post-harvest losses from their produce.

The application, called Chains of Human Intelligence towards Efficiency and Equity in Agro-Food Trade along the Trans-Africa Highway (CHEETAH), addresses losses when farmers are crossing borders.

Available statistics revealed annual post-harvest food losses in Africa…

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Local businesses urged to form partnerships to enjoy gov't incentives

Local businesses urged to form partnerships to enjoy gov’t incentives

Business promoters are encouraging local partnerships in order to benefit from government’s industrialization incentives.

President of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nana Dr. Appiagyei Dankawoso I,  is among those pushing for local business partnership.

At a  breakfast meeting to discuss prospects of his suggestion in Kumasi, he revealed that a communiqué will soon be issued to…

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Ashanti Region chiefs turn heat on parents over falling academic performance

Ashanti Region chiefs turn heat on parents over falling academic performance

Akyeamehene of Adugyama, Nana Owusu

As part of measures to address falling academic standards, chiefs of Adugyama Traditional area in the Ahafo Ano South District of the Ashanti Region have vowed to punish parents who send their children on errands after 7 p.m.

Community leaders say there are growing levels of promiscuous lifestyles, especially among girls, resulting in falling academic…

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Two Ghanaians win international engineering innovation contest

Two Ghanaians win international engineering innovation contest

Co-founder (Charles Ofori Antipem)

Two Ghanaian scientists have emerged winners in this year’s American Society of Mechanical Innovation Showcase contest.

    The innovation by Charles Ofori Antipem and Michael Afrifa won the hearts of panelists and other participants at the international engineering challenge.

They entered the competition with a portable science lab in a form of a mathematical…

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Cocoa farmers heighten risk of climate change as they cut down trees

Cocoa farmers heighten risk of climate change as they cut down trees

Trees felled are used mainly as firewood

Cocoa farmers at Timeabu in the Ejisu-Juabeng Municipality of the Ashanti Region are cutting down trees on their farms, impeding efforts to tackle climate change effects on cocoa production.

The practice is thwarting government’s ‘Tree on the Farm’ initiative meant to address the impact of climate change on agriculture.

Goal 13 of the Sustainable…

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Mass exodus hit cocoa growing community in Ashanti region

Mass exodus hit cocoa growing community in Ashanti region

The Ashanti Region town of Timeabu in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality can pass for a typical example of youth exodus.

Almost every young man and woman has moved out of the community in search of greener pastures.

Besides economic factors, lack of basic social amenities is compelling children to leave in droves, leaving behind the elderly.

Statistics from the United Nations indicate 836 million…

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Meet the security man who wants to be President of Zimbabwe.

Meet the security man who wants to be President of Zimbabwe.

Paul Chimene

In a small cubicle in one of the hotels in Cape Town, South Africa, Paul Chimene is seen busily reading and making notes in preparation for school, the next day.

He does this at 11 p.m. every day before he retires from post in the morning and heads for school.

School in the day, and then work at night, as a security man; this is the life of 29- year old Zimbabwean immigrant resident…

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Tomato farmers, transporters and traders rue in lack of standard selling weight

Tomato farmers, transporters and traders rue in lack of standard selling weight

Lack of standardized unit of mmeasurement for tomato has drawn farmers, dealers and transporters against each other as demand for the commodity increases.

While farmers are compelled to sell their produce in bigger wooden boxes instead of smaller ones against their wish, drivers are reluctant to transport tomatoes in large boxes because it makes them prone to motor accidents.

  They are faced…

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